Typical handheld devices have limited display areas, limited available memory, slower processors, and limited user input devices in comparison to desktop computer systems. These devices may also communicate over a bandwidth-limited data network, such as a wireless packet data network, or a cellular network using a digital packet data protocol. The limited display areas of these devices restrict the amount of information that can be displayed to a user at any given time. The limited user input devices, such as scroll keys, thumbwheels and keypads, can make user interaction with displayed information, such as long lists, cumbersome.
As the capabilities of handheld devices expand, it is becoming apparent that current techniques for searching, or navigating, menus, lists and other stored information are inadequate. It is not uncommon for a user to be presented with long lists of information, such as street indexes in a Global Positioning System (GPS) device or email lists on a handheld email client. To locate a specific entry of interest, the user must, for example, scroll through each entry in the list until the desired entry is found. This technique can be time consuming and aggravating, and becomes impractical as list lengths increase. Another common technique involves entering a data search query using keyboard emulation and laborious text entry, or using a tiny keyboard incorporated in the handheld device. Such techniques are not only time consuming, but tend to require fine control and two-handed input by the user.
It is, therefore, desirable to provide an improved technique for navigating or searching through large amounts of information, such as long lists, that is quick, simple, intuitive, adapted to the limited displays of typical handheld devices, and can be performed single-handed.